From the Bones
by MsWikit
Summary: When an accident during a mental exercise sends La'gaan into a coma, M'gann is once again called upon to help. She delves into the rookie's mind in an attempt to wake him, discovering his past and secrets that not even his closest friends know.
1. An Accident

Hello, and welcome to a new fic!

I have noticed a distinct lack of La'gaan fics, so I decided to fill the void. This is a quasi-sequel to Circus Dreams, but as you can probably tell it will mostly focus on La'gaan and his mind. I'm completely making up his past, and the canon will probably shoot it to pieces once his character is explored a bit more. But enjoy it for what it's worth!

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_"Recognized: Nightwing B-01."_

The team was scattered about the room when Nightwing walked in. The rookie members of the team seemed disoriented. They stood to the side with the team's veterans, sipping water and glancing around with dazed looks on their faces. A side effect from the exercise. The fatigue and disorientation would wear off soon, Nightwing knew. He looked towards the center of the room. M'gann was floating in the middle of a circle of cots. Her eyes were closed, a frown of concentration on her face. This exercise took as much out of her as it did the rookies.

Almost all of the cots were empty at that point. The game was drawing to a close, which meant that most of the rookies were already out. Only one cot was still occupied. La'gaan was still in, his eyes shut and his face unreadable. Nightwing was surprised. Mal had alerted him six hours ago that the exercise had begun. He was overseeing it, since Nightwing couldn't be at the cave at the time. Yet it was still going, even after several hours.

Quietly, Nightwing walked over to Mal. No one was allowed to speak. Any break in M'gann's concentration could prove extremely dangerous for La'gaan. He glanced over at them once more and whispered, "La'gaan is still in?"

Mal nodded. "I'll give him this: he doesn't give up."

"How did the others do?" Nightwing asked.

Mal gave him the rundown. Who got out first, how they got out. Once he'd told Nightwing everything, Mal frowned and crossed his arms. "Still don't see why we do this exercise. It's dangerous. You guys said the first time you did it-"

"Things were different then," Nightwing interrupted. "M'gann has control of her powers now. It's safe."

"Doesn't _feel _safe," Mal replied. "It really rattles the rookies. Even when you know it's not actually happening." To illustrate his point, he gestured over towards the team's newcomers. Cassie was leaning on the wall, looking unusually pensive. Beast Boy was sitting by himself with an empty water bottle at his side. Robin seemed to be holding up the best, much to Nightwing's pleasure. He was sitting next to Batgirl, silently working on a device that looked vaguely like a prototype holocomputer.

"It provides us with valuable information about the team's members. How they react to high-tension situations, whether or not they panic…" Nightwing countered. "Look, it's safe. We're monitoring their vital signs and their brain activity. So long as M'gann maintains her concentration-"

The mountain's emergency alarm began to blare.

Everyone jumped. The lights dimmed as the cave went immediately to emergency power. The zeta tubes shut down. All of the doors were firmly locked.

"_Emergency mode activated. Security hack attempted. Threat level: High."_

M'gann's concentration was broken. She snapped back into wakefulness, looking around in confusion.

"Sorry!" Robin yelled over the sirens. "I was trying to build a holocomputer from scratch – I forgot I needed to get the computer registered into the system get access to the cave's case files-"

Without a word, Nightwing rushed to shut down the mountain's security system. After a couple of minutes, he succeeded. The alarm stopped. The lights returned to normal as the mountain went back to normal power.

"_Emergency mode deactivated."_

"Never do that again!" Nightwing told Robin firmly. "Do you understand?"

Robin nodded, looking guilty. "Yes. I'm sorry. I forgot."

"Think next time," Nightwing told him, though his tone was not unkind. "Usually that wouldn't have been an issue. But M'gann needs to keep her concentration. That could have gotten her or La'gaan in big trouble."

Mal set his hand on Nightwing's shoulder. Without a word, he nodded towards the only occupied cot.

M'gann was hovering over La'gaan, a concerned look on her face. "La'gaan?"

"…he's supposed to be waking up…" Nightwing said, more to himself than anyone else. Had the break in M'gann's concentration caused something to go wrong? The link between them would have been severed the moment M'gann was brought back into the waking world. That meant that La'gaan should have been brought back at the same moment she was. Yet he was still lying motionless on the cot, showing no signs of stirring.

"Karen! Give me his vitals!" Nightwing yelled. She had been standing among the monitors, keeping track of the rookies' vital signs as the exercise went on.

Karen immediately shouted back an answer. "Heart rate, normal. Breathing, normal. Brain activity…"

Nightwing hurried over. La'gaan's monitor was the only one still up. His heart was beating steadily. His lungs were operating normally. But his brainwaves had dropped into dangerous territory. During the exercise, the brain's activity level resembled that of REM sleep. La'gaan's brain had dropped even below that.

"He's in a coma," Karen told him gravely. "The break in M'gann's concentration must have caused something to go wrong. Their minds were deeply linked, and then…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Nightwing saw horror pass across Robin's face. "Ok…ok…just…no one panic. He's stable. It may be that he'll wake up on his own in a couple of days. Maybe even in a couple of hours."

The words sounded unconvincing to his own ears.

xxxx

Two days later, La'gaan still hadn't awoken. Physically, he was still stable. None of his vital signs had faltered once. But he wasn't showing any signs of waking. Nightwing stood in the doorway of his, frowning to himself. This scene was eerily familiar. Only this time, he was on the outside looking in.

"Mal told me you were looking for me." M'gann appeared at his side. Her eyes fell on La'gaan for a moment, then she turned her head away. "If you're going to tell me this is my fault, I already know."

"It's no one's fault. It was an accident," Nightwing replied with a slight frown. "I wanted to know if you think you can wake him up."

M'gann's eyes widened in surprise. She looked from Nightwing to La'gaan. It wouldn't be the first time she had done something like this. Years before, an accident on a mission had left most of the team badly injured. Robin had borne the brunt of it, and was in a coma for weeks. The team had been devastated. As a last resort, M'gann volunteered to go into his mind and attempt to wake him. It had been successful, obviously. But she had learned that a person's subconscious could be a dangerous place. It was often confusing and nonsensical to an outsider. Their most private memories were scattered helter-skelter. You could feel what they felt, fear what they feared…it was an extremely odd and precarious situation. There was no predicting what was in a person's mind.

"I…I think I could," M'gann spoke without realizing it. "My powers are more in control now. There's no risk of pulling anyone in with me. And I have a better knowledge about what to do."

"I know it's only been two days, but I'd rather not wait for weeks and weeks. You could be under for a while. And I know how hard it is to bounce back after being bedridden for that long," Nightwing said, thinking back to the days after his coma.

M'gann nodded once. "…do you think he'll mind?"

"Not going to lie, he probably will. But, when I woke up at least, I was just happy I wasn't dead," Nightwing answered.

The two were silent for a moment. Both of them were reminiscing about their shared experience five years before. Finally, Nightwing spoke again. "I've already cleared it with the League. Whenever you're ready, M'gann."

Preparations began immediately afterwards. Another bed was moved into La'gaan's room, as M'gann still needed to be in close proximity with the person whose mind she was tapping into. Extra monitors were set up to keep an eye on M'gann's vital signs. Martian Manhunter was on standby in case anything went awry. All that was left was for M'gann to get ready to go. She decided the best way to get herself prepared for the task at hand was to meditate. It had been how her uncle had taught her to harness her powers. Over time it had worked wonders for all of her abilities, from phasing to shape-shifting.

"Are you really going to do this?"

M'gann opened her eyes and turned. Conner was standing in her doorway, looking irritated. She frowned. They hadn't spoken much since their breakup. Yet he picked now to come and talk? Was he _trying_ to psyche her out?

"Yes," M'gann replied shortly, "I _am_."

"You don't know anything about him! With Robin-" Conner began.

"Going inside Robin's mind taught me that you don't ever really know a person until you've been inside their head," M'gann interrupted, already on the offensive. "I went into Robin's mind not knowing what to expect. This is the exact same thing."

"M'gann, you could die. Last time you almost did!" Conner shot back.

"That was because Robin was injured! La'gaan has no physical damage!" She could feel the anger rising. Any attempts at peace and concentration would be fruitless now. "Besides. I'm not your girlfriend anymore. So why do you care?"

"Just because we're not dating doesn't mean I don't care about you! We're still…we're still…we're still _teammates_." Conner crossed his arms and frowns. "I think it's too risky. He's a rookie. Green as they come. Aquaman didn't even tell us much about him. All we know is that he studied with Kaldur."

M'gann shrugged. "If Kaldur was his friend, he can't be bad. Now can he?"

Before Conner could respond, M'gann got up and floated past him. Being around Conner had flustered her and brought up feelings that she didn't want to deal with.

"Where are you going?" Conner asked, watching as she went down the hall.

"A place where I can get some peace and quiet!" M'gann shouted over her shoulder.

For whatever reason, the first place she went was La'gaan's room. Nothing had changed since she'd been in there last. La'gaan was alone and lying on the bed, eyes closed as if he were only asleep. The only sounds in the room were the quiet beeping noises of the monitors as they kept track of La'gaan's heartbeat and breathing. It was almost soothing, in a way. M'gann sat down on the bed that had been set up for her and continued her meditation. But in the back of her mind, Conner's words lingered. What _would_ she be facing in La'gaan's mind? He had arrived only one month before…no one knew much about him, except that he loved sushi and Atlantean slang.

_Well_, M'gann thought, _I guess this is one way to get to know a person_.


	2. Sweet Water Child

Whoo! Fast update! Hopefully this story can help me get my groove back. Hope you guys enjoy!

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Slipping into La'gaan's mind was relatively easy. Her mind brushed against his, lightly at first, testing the waters. Then she moved deeper. Through his consciousness – which was only a couple of broken images and thoughts, as Robin's had been – and into his subconscious. She submerged herself into his mind. For a few moments, everything was black. And then she was falling. A wide, dark ocean stretched out in front of her. M'gann fell into it, going further and further down…her descent began to slow as she reached the ocean floor. Out of instinct, M'gann shifted into her 'underwater' form. Though she didn't seem to need to. The sea was just like oxygen, with or without gills.

M'gann began to look around and get a feel for her surroundings. Robin's mind had been a hodgepodge of different cities and mismatched buildings. But, from what she could see, La'gaan's mind was completely different. Around M'gann was an underwater wasteland. The water was dark and murky. Rocks rose up from the sea floor in sharp angles. For whatever reason, the first word that came to M'gann's mind was 'starved.' And, as she really looked, that was truly the best way to describe the area. There were no fish, no underwater plants, no _anything_. It was completely lacking any sort of life. M'gann spotted a few small, crude buildings made from the rocks. But there were only a handful, and seemed to be abandoned.

Without knowing what else to, M'gann began to swim forward. Her experience from Robin's mind and her uncle's teachings told her that she would find La'gaan in his mind's 'heart.' Usually that place was in the center of everything, and manifested itself in the form of the person's home. For Robin it had been Wayne Manor. Presumably, La'gaan's 'heart' would be where he had dwelled in Atlantis.

The wasteland seemed to stretch on endlessly. It seemed to grow more desolate the farther she went. The sandy floor was almost completely replaced by the dark, craggy rocks. M'gann to feel a deep sense of foreboding. It struck here how thoroughly unprotected the area was. In the Atlantean cities she had visited, there had been large dome that protected the area from the dangers of sea. Here, there was nothing. If it wanted to, a shark could come out and attack her. A killer whale might decide she looked like a tasty meal. And, for some reason, M'gann got the distinct feeling that something like that had happened in this place before. It was lifeless. It was hopeless. And it was _dangerous_.

Preoccupied with her own thoughts, M'gann didn't notice the whale skeleton until she was swimming through it.

It was about a hundred feet long, resting on the sea floor. The fish (and possibly the natives) had picked the skeleton clean long ago. All that remained of it was smooth, white bone. M'gann ran her hands over it curiously. And then, suddenly, the silence around her was shattered.

The desolate plain came to life in one moment. M'gann jumped and retreated into the skeleton's enormous rib cage, looking out at the wasteland as it came to life around her.

Atlanteans seemed to come from nowhere, forming into translucent ghosts. None of them were human-looking, as Kaldur and some of his friends were. They resembled fish, whales, sharks, dolphins…M'gann stared at them in wonder. She had seen only a handful of these Atlanteans before. But now they were everywhere. It was amazing. Some of them looked as if the marine life had simply taken a more human shape. Some looked like a bizarre mix between human and aquatic. And others could barely be told apart from the actual sea life. The colors, the variety…their society itself was an aquarium. They spoke to each other in the Atlantean language, which she somehow understood easily. It took a while for this enchantment of diversity and beauty to wear off. But when it did, M'gann was hit with a hard dose of reality.

Everyone was starving.

They were all skin and bones. Some of them were diseased. She spotted Atlanteans with rotting fins, bleeding scales, sunken eyes…no one seemed healthy. Their faces were grave and aged. M'gann spotted children – guppies, rather – swimming around completely naked. Even they were skinny and sick. Only a few of them seemed to have the energy to actually play.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable once more, M'gann kept swimming. None of the specters paid her any attention. Some of them passed right through her, though she did her best to avoid them.

After what felt like hours of swimming through the haunted wasteland, M'gann noticed something…different. A guppy swam in front of her. He was extremely small and thin. There was blood seeping from underneath his scales. Like most of the other children, he didn't have any clothing. But there was one thing that set him apart from the rest of the figures that M'gann saw: he was solid. And, from what she could tell, he was a younger form of La'gaan. After a moment of hesitation, she swam after him.

The young, sickly La'gaan led her to a group of rocks. Together they formed a small cave that was just barely big enough for little La'gaan. He swam inside and curled up.

"Hello?" M'gann said as she swam up. There was no telling if the little figure would react. He was just a representation of a part of La'gaan's personality. It could be that he could talk, or even recognize her. Or he might not react at all.

Little La'gaan raised his head. He narrowed his hollow red eyes at her. "This is _my_ cave. Get your own."

"Why are you so sick?" M'gann asked, looking at him with concern. Had La'gaan ever actually looked like this? Or was this just a part of his mind 'dying?'

"Because," Little La'gaan said grumpily. He coughed once and shut his eyes.

"Because why?" M'gann settled herself at the mouth of her cave, letting her tail rest on the sand. "Who is taking care of you?"

"The ocean is." Little La'gaan growled and opened one eye. "I don't need anybody-"

Suddenly there was a cry among the passing ghosts. They all scattered, disappearing into nothingness. The guppy at her side gasped. He pressed himself further back into his cave. With one little hand, he grabbed her fin and dragged her tail into the cave. "Hide, stupid! He's coming!"

"Who?" M'gann asked, trying to find the source of everyone's fear. This scene seemed eerily familiar. She thought of the skeletons that had haunted Robin's mind and terrorized his younger self. What was it that haunted La'gaan's childhood?

The guppy lowered himself against the sandy floor of the cave. He whispered, "Ocean-Master."

A large group of hooded shapes swam past. M'gann couldn't see their faces. All that stood out to her was their eyes. They glowed like fire. Those eyes were the embodiment of hate and malice…they swam over the cave, not seeing her or La'gaan. Behind them, one some sort of vehicle, was Ocean-Master. His suit of armor was a royal purple, and his face was covered by a mask. More of his followers swam behind him. A few of them pulled other Atlanteans by ropes around their necks. Some of the captives looked lifeless and dead. A few were being eaten apart by fish. Others were just skeletons, as if they had been dragged by Ocean-Master's servants for years…

One figure in particular caught her eye. One of the dead captives resembled La'gaan. Parasitic fish trailed after his body, darting up and taking off chunks of his soft flesh. As he passed over them, the corpse seemed to come to life. His red eyes opened. He reached down towards them.

"La'gaan…" he gasped.

La'gaan whimpered. "Papa…"

The group vanished, fading off into the distance. Slowly, the Atlanteans began to return. Their specters looked around once or twice. Then they simply carried on as if nothing had happened.

La'gaan was still shivering, his back pressed against the rocks. "He comes when you least expect it, and there's nowhere to hide."

With a slight frown, M'gann swam upwards and looked in the direction Ocean-Master had gone. "La'gaan, did he kill your father?"

The young guppy seemed reluctant to answer. For a moment he looked vulnerable and scared, as if the very thought of it terrified him to his core. But then the walls went up. He bared his sharp little teeth at her. "That's none of your business, _chum_!"

She was taken aback by his combativeness. "I'm trying to help you-"

"No you're not!" La'gaan yelled. "Now leave! You don't belong in the Bones!"

"The Bones-?" M'gann began to ask. But La'gaan shot off before she could finish the question. He vanished into the murky ocean water, swimming faster than she had thought possible. M'gann sighed.

_Well, that was unhelpful. _M'gann thought. She had no idea where the 'heart' of La'gaan's mind was. Or if this wasteland ever came to an end. Desperate for a clue, M'gann looked towards the small cave. It like it was frequently visited. There were small fish bones littered around the entrance. She saw a dark shape towards the back and reached in. What she pulled out surprised her. It was a light blue object, crafted into the shape of a closed scallop shell. When M'gann opened it, music began to play. Two small dolphins, made of twinkling gold light, swam out of the shell and began a dance in time with the music. Somewhere in the distance, a woman sang:

"_Sweet water child,_

_Don't be afraid_

_Sweet water child,_

_I will stay right here_

_Sweet water child, _

_I love you…"_

The song ended, and the two dolphins vanished. M'gann closed the shell. It was odd, the things you found in people's minds. She put the music box back into its place. Her uncle had warned her before going under that – to minimize the effects of merging their minds – M'gann was to disturb nothing while she was in La'gaan's mind. Everything had to remain as it was. Nothing could be moved. It may just be a music box in his subconscious, but in reality it may be a vital memory.

When everything was just as it had been when she arrived, M'gann swam off.

xxxx

"How is she – they. How are they?" Conner asked, walking into the room. Underneath the beeping of the monitors, he could hear La'gaan and M'gann's heartbeats. Both were steady, which brought him some comfort.

Nightwing glanced over his shoulder at him. "Stable. She's been under for about four hours now.

There haven't been any changes in either of them."

Conner frowned worriedly. He had hoped that M'gann would be in and out. Just like that. What was happening inside of La'gaan's mind? Was she in danger? "Feels like déjà vu. I remember when it was you that had to be woken up."

"M'gann saved my life," Nightwing said, "I just hope that La'gaan won't be in the same danger I was. Kaldur will kill me if anything happens to him…"

His teammate looked at him in surprise. "You've talked to Kaldur? No one has heard from him since…well, you know."

A grim look passed over Nightwing's face. "No, I haven't. But I know he was friends with La'gaan. When he comes back, he'll be pretty ticked off at me. Mal was right. That exercise is too dangerous. We were traumatized for months. Years, even…"

His words fell on deaf ears. Conner was only looking at M'gann. Worrying for her. How long would it be until she woke up? What if she didn't? He turned his face away and sighed. Yes, they'd all made a lot of mistakes lately. Nightwing made the mistake of putting the rookies through the exercise. Robin had made the mistake of setting off the alarms...

Had Conner made a mistake when he broke up with M'gann?


	3. Memorable Lies

Not happy with this chapter, but I've hit a small bit of writer's block. This is my attempt at powering through it. The next chapter will be better, I swear!

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"La'gaan is in a _coma_?" Kaldur repeated in disbelief. "How did this happen?"

Dick sighed. He knew he would end up regretting this. It was becoming increasingly dangerous to make contact with each other as it was. But Dick felt he owed it to Kaldur. This was the only way the news would reach him. Eventually it might make its way to Atlantis and spread. But it could be weeks before word reached Black Manta's men. Who knows what would happen in that time?

"We were putting the rookies through the exercise. M'gann was in full control. But there was an accident…and, as a result, La'gaan has been comatose for almost a week now." Dick explained. "I figured since you were friends with him…"

Kaldur sighed, looking away. "Yes, thank you…hopefully things will work out. Just as they did last time…"

"He's in good hands." Dick replied. "M'gann saved my life. She can save his."

His friend nodded in agreement, but did not speak. He was still reeling from the information. One of his friends was in a coma, possibly never to wake, and he couldn't be there.

"…I was wondering. I haven't had the chance to ask Aquaman…and the League's files aren't completely linked with Atlantis's. Does he have any family? Anyone that should know?" Dick asked. Orin had only put in a small amount of information about his new protégé. He was beginning to think that not even the king himself knew much about La'gaan's family.

Kaldur thought for a moment. "Yes. He has a mother…but if our king knows, then word has already gotten back to her. I believe she works as a servant to Queen Mera."

"No other family?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head. "None that I know of. La'gaan did not like to speak about his life before coming to the Conservatory. There were…rumors. But we never pressed him to verify. We dismissed most of them as lies. His acceptance was considered controversial. There were those who wished to tarnish his reputation as a result."

"Right…I'll try to keep you updated. He's been stable for this long. If anything changes, you'll be one of the first to know," Dick assured him. He knew it was a lie. If anything did happen, it would be days before he could relay the information back to Kaldur.

With that, they parted ways.

xxxx

"Does this ever end?" M'gann asked herself, looking at the waste forlornly. It seemed to stretch on forever with no end in sight. Was this all there was to La'gaan's mind? Or was he already so far gone, this was all that was left?

The Atlantean specters had vanished. She was alone in this lifeless stretch of rock. M'gann sighed and settled herself on to the sea floor. This was getting her nowhere. She'd made absolutely no progress so far. The only thing that had happened was her encounter with young La'gaan and his worst fear, Ocean-Master. But both of those figures were long gone. They seemed to have been swallowed up by the murky water, just like the Atlantean ghosts that floated around La'gaan's mind.

As M'gann sat and contemplated what to do, she heard something. It was far in the distance, echoing slightly…

"_Sweet water child,_

_Don't be afraid_

_Sweet water child,_

_I will stay right here_

_Sweet water child, _

_I love you…"_

Looking around for the source, M'gann spotted the small cave where she had hidden with young La'gaan. The music box she had found was open and playing. The golden dolphins were dancing in the water, swimming in time with the music.

"I've been going in circles." M'gann cursed herself and closed the music box. The dolphins evaporated suddenly, leaving behind remnants of the golden light that had shaped them. The glowing particles drifted down towards the sea floor. She watched them for a moment, and then curled up on the rocks with a sigh. Maybe this was all that was left. Maybe this entire thing was simply hopeless. M'gann began to consider ending it there.

Suddenly, something caught her eye.

The small bits of golden light, leftover from the dolphins, were dancing. They swirled to and fro, moving through the water with as much grace as the dolphins had before them. They came together, forming into two different shapes. The golden glow around them faded, and M'gann was left with the ghosts of two more Atlanteans.

One of them was tall and willowy. Everything about her seemed to be graceful and slender. Her fingers were twice the length of a normal human's. The webbing in between them was a beautiful scarlet color. Her head wasn't shaped like a normal human's, either. It was more sloped and elongated, adding to her graceful look. She had legs, but also a thick tail like an otter's. M'gann saw one large fin on the top of her it, comprised of six spines linked by a bright red membrane. She had two more fins like these, one on the back of each shoulder. Her bright red hair formed a halo around her in the water. Pretty as she was, M'gann noted that she seemed _too _thin. Her clothes were no more than rags draped over her breasts and hips. Even her skin, which was pale green, seemed to lack a luster that should have been present.

Young La'gaan swam beside the strange figure. Both of them looked extremely thin. One of the woman's shoulder fins looked like it was rotting. There were dark red spots underneath La'gaan's scales. Not only were the two of them starving, they were both sick. How sick, M'gann couldn't tell. But she had a feeling that La'gaan seemed to be worse off than his companion. Whenever he moved too suddenly, he would wince and cry out in pain.

"Mother, Mother it hurts!" La'gaan whined. His voice was tremulous; the child was near tears. He stopped on one of the rocks. "Please, can't we rest?"

His mother looked him over sadly. "Yes, we can rest. But only for a short while. We have to get to Nanauve soon. The waters will become too dangerous once the seasons change."

"Why do we have to go to the city?" La'gaan asked, gazing down at his bleeding hands.

The woman sighed and sat down beside him on the rocks. "Things have been difficult since your father died, La'gaan. Before we could scrape by in the Bones. But now we have to move on. You're sick. The only place you can get medicine is in the city. And Nanauve is the safest place for people like us."

"People like us?" La'gaan repeated, turning his large red eyes towards her. "What do you mean?"

It took his mother a few moments to answer. "It…it is hard to explain, my son. Do you remember the story your father used to tell you? About how Atlantis sunk into the ocean, and our ancestors used magic to adapt and survive?"

La'gaan nodded.

"Well, many people went about this different ways. Some thought the best way to adapt would be to become part of the ocean itself and take on the characteristics of the sea life. Others simply changed the way they breathed and kept their human look. It created a large divide between our ancestors…those who chose to change their entire outward appearance were powerful sorcerers that already lived on the edges of Atlantis," his mother explained. "Even back then, the people who lived on the outskirts were considered…uncivilized."

"I'm not uncivilized!" La'gaan protested.

"I know you aren't, my son." His mother smiled slightly, amused at his outburst. But the smile quickly faded away. "Prejudices of the past die hard, my son. Some people will look down on you because of how you look."

M'gann felt a cold sensation spreading throughout her entire body. Oh yes, she knew that feeling. She had seen some of Atlantis's prejudices firsthand during her visit with Kaldur and Conner. And she had dealt with this sort of thing back on Mars. It was always so confusing when you're young. Hated for something you can't understand…

La'gaan's mother gently set her hand on his cheek. "But remember this: you are the descendant of a powerful sorcerer. Magic runs in your veins. It's waiting right in here." She placed on of her hands over his heart. "When you need it most, the blood of your ancestors will come to aid you."

The little guppy smiled, momentarily forgetting his pains. "So, if I want, I can be a sorcerer?"

"Of course. Now come along." She offered her webbed hand to him. La'gaan opted to swim ahead, rejuvenated by his mother's words.

M'gann could see the lie in her eyes as the memory dissolved.

Once again, she was left alone in the wasteland. The Bones, they had called it. Perhaps that was an apt name. So far all she had seen was rocks, dark water, and the skeleton of a blue whale. Everyone in La'gaan's memories was starving and sick. It seemed that the only thing that existed in this underwater desert was death.

_So they went to a city called Nanauve…maybe I'm getting close to that part of his mind. Maybe that's where I'll be able to wake him up. _M'gann felt a renewed sense of hope. Perhaps the memory was a sign that she was finally getting close. The very thought of the city brought new hope. Grinning to herself, she swam ahead into the dark waters, following the path that La'gaan and his mother had taken in the memory.

Little did she know that Nanauve would be a city of disappointment. For both her and La'gaan.


	4. Dead in the Water

Sorry for the wait. But hey! Longer chapter!

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The wasteland finally ended. The rocks came to a sudden stop, giving way for a forest of kelp. Long strands of it stretched high above M'gann's head like trees. The water became clearer and warmer. The feeling of constant danger seemed to evaporate. There was plenty of cover here, if she needed to hide from something. It didn't occur to her that other things could hide there, too.

It was a pleasant change from what she had previously experienced. The warm water felt amazing on her skin and flowing through her gills. The kelp brushed against her lightly as it swayed in the water. A feeling of peace permeated the entire area. She abandoned all of her inhibitions and fears. M'gann was beginning to feel extremely free. There were no boundaries, no worries…

A shadow passed overhead.

M'gann stopped to look up, but whatever it was had vanished. And, suddenly, she didn't feel safe anymore. After a few moments of hesitation, she continued on. The shadow passed over her again. M'gann swam faster.

The kelp forest began to feel just as huge as the wastelands. Was she even moving forward? Or was she just swimming in circles? There were no landmarks, no changes in scenery…perhaps this wasn't better than the Bones. Maybe it was worse.

A small figure swam out in front of her, causing M'gann to recoil. She was surprised to see it was the young La'gaan she had hidden with earlier. His big red eyes were panicked. Before M'gann could say a word, he shot off again with a frightened yell. She started to swim after him, only to have something slam into her back. Gritting her teeth, she turned to face her attacker. This wasn't the first time she would have to fight off something within a person's mind. M'gann was prepared for this.

Her attacker wasn't some twisted nightmare, as she expected. It was La'gaan himself. He didn't look quite as starved as his younger incarnation. But there was a wild look in his eyes. A burning drive to keep hunting, keep moving, keep going. Their sudden collision made him pause. He looked her over, bearing his sharp teeth. M'gann froze, unsure what to do or say. Was this a manifestation of his 'dark' side? Or was it something else? When he decided she was not a threat, he swam off after the younger La'gaan.

He caught the young child, grabbing him roughly. The younger La'gaan screamed for his mother. The older La'gaan began to claw and bite, snarling all the while. She had never seen anything like this in Robin's mind. All the manifestations of his psyche had stayed separate, never meeting. This wasn't the case in La'gaan's mind, apparently. The older La'gaan acted like an animal. Territorial, hostile…when the younger La'gaan slipped away, he pursued him into the kelp.

_That part of his mind is killing the other…_M'gann thought, trying to grasp the implications of this. That sort of thing usually indicated that one trait was quickly overpowering another. But what did the older La'gaan represent? Anger? Hostility?

Or was it merely just survival?

xxxx

The kelp forest ended just as suddenly as the Bones. When M'gann emerged from it, she was staring at a large Atlantean city. There wasn't a dome of protective spells around it, which M'gann thought was odd considering what Kaldur had shown them in Shayeris and Poseidonis. She looked around, feeling a vague sense of déjà vu. The city in La'gaan's mind was just as confusing as the one in Robin's had been. All of the buildings were blocky and darkly colored. Some were translucent, as if the buildings themselves were ghosts. Streets were deep cuts in the sand and rock. The skeletons of fish and other sea life swam around as if they were alive.

"Nanauve…" M'gann said to herself. This had to be the city that La'gaan and his mother had migrated to. Which meant she had to be getting close to waking him up and getting out of his subconscious. The knowledge brought a smile to her face as she swam ahead.

Most of the buildings were empty and deserted. A few of the stores displayed bountiful amounts of delicious-looking food. Fresh fish, crabs, scallops, oysters, seaweed bread…but all of it vanished as M'gann swam past. The further into the city she went, the hungrier she felt. Her mouth began to water whenever she saw the tantalizing food waiting for her in a storefront. But every time she got close, it vanished. It was so close. She could eat. There was only a glass window between her and the food. She would only have to take a little…that was all she needed…just one fish, just one…

_Snap out of it! _

M'gann gave herself a shake. This was so different from her experience in Robin's mind. Nothing in his subconscious had been so strong. With La'gaan, certain memories and feelings were still clear and sharp. He still remembered what it felt like to be hungry all the time. It was such a vivid memory for him that it kept creeping up on M'gann, forcing her to feel what he had experienced all those years ago. She did her best to block out the sensation as she continued on, but it was extremely difficult. The feeling was so debilitating and powerful that she could barely fight it off.

Another feeling hit her at the same time. Pain. Not hunger pains. She now knew distinct the difference between the two, just as La'gaan did. No, this was worse. It covered her entire body so that she was unable to escape from it. There wasn't ever any relief. Always pain…pain when she swam, pain when she moved, pain when she was touched, pain when she spoke, pain when she breathed…

_STOP IT!_

When M'gann snapped herself out of it, she found herself lying on the ground in front of a particularly run-down building. It looked like a giant brick that had been dropped into the ocean and painted burgundy. Still feeling twinges of pain, M'gann swam inside. The interior looked about as good as the outside. Paint was chipped and fading. There were old Atlantean sleeping pods, rendered almost unusable from frequent abuse. M'gann curled up on the floor. The pain in her stomach was slowly returning. As hard as she tried to shake it, it wouldn't go away. Some part of her wanted to give up.

Suddenly two specters appeared. They seemed to simply fade in, born from the cool water. She quickly recognized the two apparitions as young La'gaan and his mother. La'gaan looked worse than he had in the previous memory. His mother had wrapped him in an old blanket. Blood from underneath his scales left it stained and smeared. His eyes couldn't seem to stay open. Every movement – no matter how small – seemed to cause him excruciating agony. Each time his mother shifted or touched him, he would whimper pitifully. She cradled him like an infant and tried not to move too much.

"Mother," La'gaan moaned, "Mother it hurts. Make it stop."

"I can't, my son," his mother replied tearfully, "I can't."

It hit her then. La'gaan was dying. In this memory, he was on the brink of death. She knew it, his mother knew it…and perhaps even he knew it, all the way back then.

Another figure appeared, swimming forward from one of the corners of the building. He looked like a grizzled old man from the waist up. Everything below was just a large shark tail. The figured glowered at them, his black eyes showing no sign of sympathy. "Cor'rel, you get your guppy out of here. The kid is shark food."

La'gaan's mother, apparently named Cor'rel, stared at him with a mixture of horror and sorrow. "But- but he can still-"

"You know as well as I do that the weak don't have no place in Nanauve. It's a wonder you even got him here. You probably had sharks tailing you for miles," the merman interrupted. "Now go. We don't need him getting all the other kids sick."

With a helpless sob, Cor'rel swam out cradling her child. The movement made La'gaan shriek in agony, a sound that M'gann was sure would stay with her till the day she died…

The memory was tugging her out of the building. She followed, partly to sate her curiosity and partly to escape the feelings of hunger and pain. Perhaps if she followed this memory through, the sensations would leave her alone.

Once she was outside, she noted a drastic change. The city looked as it might have in real life. It was bustling and filled with Atlanteans, most of whom were more aquatic than human. No one paid Cor'rel or her son any attention. Those that did simply shoved them out of their way. The mother took La'gaan to an alley across the street. His body was racked with tremors, almost seizure-like in nature. When they stopped, he wasn't even crying. The poor child didn't have the energy for it. He simply whimpered and rested his head against his mother's breast.

Cor'rel, trembling from grief, held him close. And suddenly, she began to sing the haunting lullaby that M'gann had already heard twice before.

"_Sweet water child,_

_Don't be afraid_

_Sweet water child,_

_I will stay right here_

_Sweet water child,_

_I love you…"_

As the words faded away, so did Cor'rel. She vanished, leaving La'gaan lying on the ground. The other specters disappeared and left the streets almost completely deserted. A couple of lanterns were lit using magic, ensuring the city wasn't left in total darkness.

La'gaan opened his eyes. He looked around once. "Mother?"

No answer. Cor'rel was nowhere to be seen.

"Mother?" La'gaan called against. He sat up, cringing and yelping in pain. "Mother? Mother!"

Still, no answer.

Utter terror passed over La'gaan's face before. As far as M'gann had seen, his mother was his constant companion. They never left each other's sides. But here was La'gaan, dying and alone for the first time in his life. M'gann's heart bled for him as he struggled to rise. The simple movement seemed to cause him excruciating pain. His howl of pain slowly morphed into a quiet whimper. "Mother? Mother?"

Slowly, so slowly, he swam forward. He yelled for his mother as loud as he could, gasping and stopping in between calls. His body was so weak that even that exhausted him. La'gaan lost consciousness in the middle of the street, floating in the water.

xxxx

The memory evaporated as suddenly as it appeared. M'gann's surroundings changed with it. She was left alone on what looked like a shrine in Nanauve. The only things that she could see were statues. M'gann counted seven in all, each of a different Atlantean.

The first one was a statue of Cor'rel, La'gaan's mother. She had her backed turned to M'gann, her thin arms hugging herself. Her statue was cracked and the pedestal on which it stood was covered with barnacles. It seemed that many of the statues were in similar a condition, though Cor'rel's was by far the worst.

The one to her right was of a man who strongly reminded M'gann of a hammerhead shark. His right arm was raised, ready to strike. The next statue was of a more human-looking Atlantean. His stone smile seemed genuine and warm, but she could see an open cut across his throat. Each statue seemed to be unique. M'gann wondered who all of these people were, and what significance they had to La'gaan.

Suddenly, another small ghost appeared at the base of the hammerhead statue. It was La'gaan, and he was cowering at the base. "I promise I'll steal more next time! I promise!"

Another ghost appeared, standing in front of the smiling man. "Getting back some stupid music box isn't worth it, Aurelius!"

Another ghost appeared. And another, and another. All speaking to the statues. La'gaan seemed to get progressively older as each ghost appeared.

"Please don't send me away."

"But it wasn't my fault!"

"I'm not a slave, and you're not my master."

"From now on, I'll look after myself."

Finally, a specter appeared at the base of Cor'rel's statue. This final apparition seemed to be around La'gaan's current age. It narrowed its eyes at her stone likeness and said: "You left me to die."

The words and ghosts faded away, leaving only the decaying statues. M'gann began to understand what all of these people had in common. At some point in their lives, they had cared for La'gaan. And, for one reason or another, they had all left his life. Perhaps he ran away from some. Perhaps others chased him off. Or maybe they simply died. But La'gaan had survived that night, and afterwards his childhood was marked by multiple guardians. He was passed from hand to hand, until he gave up on finding a home altogether.

"_From now on, I'll look after myself."_


	5. Bittersweet Lullabies

Well this chapter took a while, didn't it?

I'll try to get better about updating. But this next semester is going to be a wild one.

Merry Christmas everyone!

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After leaving the shrine, La'gaan's mind changed once again. The landscape still resembled the city of Nanauve, but different areas were suddenly glowing with a strange light. Entire blocks of buildings could be red, green, yellow, or black. The green areas were often isolated, but they gave off feelings of safety and comfort. Areas that glowed yellow were a bit more common. They felt safe enough, but M'gann felt an underlying need for constant awareness associated with them. She stayed away from the parts of the city that were completely black. She could feel that going into them meant sudden death.

The rest of the city was lit up red, like it had somehow caught on fire. It was all she could see, everywhere she turned. It meant danger. Inescapable, unavoidable danger. If you lived in Nanauve, you were risking your life by swimming out into open water.

At least the feelings of hunger had gone away. M'gann wondered if that was because La'gaan had somehow started to get food for himself as he got older. Or maybe he just got better at ignoring it. (Though, if his memories were any indication, she wasn't sure if it was possible to ignore something like that.) But now there was a different problem. The streets seemed to get narrower and narrower. The walls were slowly closing in on her. M'gann tried to turn back, only to see that the street that had been behind her was nothing but a dead end. She frowned, then decided to just continue on.

The walls kept closing in. M'gann to feel trapped. Was there any way out of this city? Was she going to be stuck there forever?

It opened back up out of nowhere, a narrow alley spitting her out into a deserted market place. The stalls were all set up, ready to begin the day's work. M'gann swam in between the booths and carts, looking at the wares.

"Are you going to buy something, chum?"

She looked up, startled. La'gaan – or rather, two of him – had appeared out of nowhere. One of them was malformed. His skin was a darker green, his face scarred and monstrous. He didn't seem to want to look at M'gann. He kept his face turned away and leaned on the other La'gaan, so that his counterpart was forced to support him. The other La'gaan was taller, healthier, and stronger-looking. Despite this, he seemed to be burdened heavily by his twin. They were twins, M'gann decided. Siamese twins. The two were joined at the right hip.

"I was just looking," M'gann said hesitantly.

"Well, unless you're buying, you can keep swimming," the strong La'gaan snapped. "I don't have time to waste on shark bait."

His ugly twin squirmed uncomfortably.

"Well, I guess I'll take…" M'gann looked at the wares, displayed neatly on the booth's counter. One object immediately caught her eye: a music box, crafted into the shape of a scallop shell. The same one she had seen multiple times before. M'gann picked it up and held it carefully in her hands. She watched the conjoined twins out of the corner of her eye, wanting to see their reaction. The ugly twin cringed and looked away, as if the sight of her holding it filled him with shame and guilt. The other twin simply huffed.

"You sure you want that?" The healthy twin asked. He crossed his arms.

M'gann hesitated, looking down at it. This music box had some sort of significance. Why else would it appear so often in La'gaan's mind? She ran her hand over it, exploring its surface. Something told her this wasn't any kind of rarity in Atlantis. It looked very simple, cheap even. Why did his mind latch on to it? What significance did it have?

Suddenly, her hands felt oddly…sticky. When she looked down, the shell was coated in blood. It moved up through the water, looking beautifully sinister.

"…on second thought," she said, "you keep it."

M'gann set the music box down and swam away. The music box was definitely a part of an important memory. Possibly several. And she got the feeling she didn't want to know half of them.

xxxx

Not long after leaving the market, M'gann stumbled across another area. A place that she could only describe as a graveyard.

Before then, it hadn't occurred to her that Atlanteans had to dispose of their dead somehow. On Mars, the dead were put in catacombs underneath residential districts. On Earth, you could be buried, cremated, mummified…but Atlantis had different measures, it seems.

Each body had been wrapped in a white sheet and encircled by smooth colorful stones to keep them weighed down. Fish and other creatures darted around from sheet to sheet, attempting to get to the flesh underneath. M'gann presumed that in reality the bodies were carefully covered. But in La'gaan's mind, many of them weren't. She swam past the body of his father, and thankfully the corpse did not come to life this time. There were multiple dead children. Playmates and friends that hadn't lived to see adulthood. Teenaged Atlanteans were war paint and symbols she didn't understand on their clothes.

She passed the body of one of his caretakers, the human-looking one she'd seen at the shrine. M'gann stopped to look at him. There was a faint golden glow coming from his body, and his face was almost peaceful. She might have thought he was sleeping if it weren't for the knife wound across his throat. The words La'gaan had spoken at this man's statue suddenly came back to her.

"_Getting back some stupid music box isn't worth it, Aurelius!"_

"Aurelius," M'gann murmured. "Your name was Aurelius…"

His hands were resting at his sides, and she noticed he held something in one of them. After a prolonged period of hesitation, ("Hello Megan! It's not the real body," she realized.) she grabbed the object.

It was a light blue music box, crafted in the shape of a scallop shell.

M'gann opened it. The golden dolphins appeared and danced around her as the lullaby played. They spun around and around, until she couldn't see the graveyard any longer. Everything was made of liquid gold and sand. When it finally stopped, she was right in the middle of one of La'gaan's memories.

She was now inside of a small Atlantean home. It might have actually been large, but there were so much junk laying around that the remaining living space was comparatively small. There were books, scrolls, maps, brightly colored bottles, bells, wheels, trinkets, baubles, things M'gann couldn't even attempt to name. It was crowded and messy, but it felt homey. Safe even.

The man, Aurelius, was swimming around preparing dinner. A young La'gaan sat and watched him.

"What's your name?" Aurelius asked.

"La'gaan," Young La'gaan answered. "What's yours?"

Aurelius grinned at him. "Aurelius. Where are your parents, La'gaan?"

"My papa is dead," La'gaan replied. "I'm looking for my mother."

This made Aurelius pause. He set down what he was doing and swam closer to La'gaan. "You're looking for her? Were you separated from her?"

La'gaan nodded. "I woke up and she was gone. I've been looking for her. Sphyrna said he'd take me to her, but he never did." The little guppy frowned and looked away. "All he did was hit me and make me steal stuff."

A look of concern and shock passed over Aurelius's face. "Who is your mother? When did you last see her?"

"I was in an alley. And when I woke up she was gone," La'gaan explained. "Her name is Cor'rel and she's got red hair and one of her fins is rotting 'cause she was sick. Have you seen her?"

"I can't say I have," Aurelius said, looking genuinely sorry. "Maybe we can go look for her together. I'm sure she's somewhere in Nanauve. We just have to find her."

He smiled at La'gaan. The little guppy looked at him for a moment, and smiled brightly.

The memory changed. A couple of weeks had passed. M'gann could tell, as young La'gaan was no longer thin. In fact, he practically looked healthy. Outside, night was falling. Aurelius lit a lamp using magic, then hung it up on the wall.

"Aurelius, where'd you learn to do magic?" La'gaan asked. He was sitting on small mat on the floor, staring at the lamp.

"Hm? Oh. The Conservatory of Sorcery. In Poseidonis," Aurelius told him. He swam over and began to dig through one of the piles of junk. After a moment of searching, he pulled out a map and unraveled it so La'gaan could see. "It's the capitol of Atlantis. That's where the king lives."

"The king?" La'gaan repeated. He frowned in confusion.

"Yes, the king." Aurelius smiled, but it faded when he saw La'gaan's apparent bewilderment. "La'gaan, do you know what a king _is_?"

La'gaan shook his head.

"Did you know that we had one?"

Again, he shook his head.

"Neptune's beard! I didn't realize…do you know how to write any letters?" When La'gaan shook his head for a third time, Aurelius practically fell over from shock. "Well then, we'll just have to get started in the morning. It's late, and little guppies should be sleeping."

La'gaan obediently swam over to the sleeping pod. "Aurelius, do you know any lullabies?"

"I know several, but I sound like a dying dolphin when I sing." He laughed, and so did La'gaan. "I may have something better. Hold on."

M'gann sat and watched him dig through the junk pile. He pulled out – what else – the music box. Once it was in hand, he swam over to La'gaan and gave it to him.

"Open it," Aurelius said.

La'gaan did. The golden dolphins began to dance through the water around his hand, the lullaby playing softly. A smile came over the little boy's face, and he settled himself in the sleeping pod. "Mother used to sing me this lullaby…"

"When we find her, you'll have the real thing," Aurelius promised. He smiled warmly at him. "The music box will do for now. Do you agree?"

La'gaan's eyes were closing. He nodded sleepily. As the lullaby ended the dolphins disappeared. Aurelius closed the music box, then shut the pod. "Sleep well, La'gaan."

The memory vanished, leaving M'gann sitting in the graveyard with the music box in her hand. She swallowed hard. Something about those memories left her feeling empty. They were the happiest she'd seen in La'gaan's mind. He had a caregiver that was somewhat well-off, who cared about him, and even began his education. But that happiness wouldn't last long. She could feel it. The memories had an underlying feeling of loss to them. Every time La'gaan looked back on those days, the feeling was bittersweet. The memories were happy. What was to come after them, apparently, wasn't.

Setting the music box beside Aurelius, M'gann swam forward. She tried to shake the feelings of sadness and regret that suddenly plagued her. But they wouldn't leave her be. She was so preoccupied with them that she didn't even notice the body until she swam right into it.

This body was not held down by rocks, nor was it covered with a sheet. Instead it floated in the middle of the water. M'gann recoiled, swimming backwards in shock.

The body didn't remind her of any particular sea creature, but he was definitely aquatic. His fingers and toes were webbed, and she could see gills on the side of his neck. He had no visible nose and his scales were all gray and black. There was war paint on his face and he still clasped an iron trident in its hand.

A name came to her, seemingly from nowhere. _Galeo_.

"Murderer," someone whispered.

"Murderer!" said another, louder than before.

"Killer!"

"Monster!"

"Savage!"

"Murderer!"

M'gann turned. The bodies were all rising, swimming towards her with hate in their eyes. The decomposing bodies began to encircle her. They hissed. They cursed. Claws swiped out towards her. She swam backwards, her heart beginning to race.

Someone set their hands on her shoulders. The body of Galeo put the trident to her neck.

"Time to pay, chum."

M'gann screamed.


	6. Murderer

"Her heart rate is up," Nightwing said, frowning at the monitors. "_Way_ up."

Batgirl stood at his side, her arms crossed over her chest. Everyone on the team took turns monitoring both M'gann and La'gaan. She glanced at La'gaan's monitors. All normal. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad. "Any idea what she's seeing in there?"

He shook his head. "You can never be able to tell. Everyone's mind is different."

"Obviously," Batgirl replied. "So…what do we do?"

"If her vitals drop into dangerous levels, we have to wake her up," Nightwing answered.

"What about Lagoon Boy?" Batgirl raised a hand, indicating to his monitor. "If we have to wake her up before she wakes him…?"

Nightwing frowned. "Then we wait for him to wake up on his own. And…if he doesn't…"

She set her hand on his shoulder. "Don't think about that, Dick. You're not doing yourself any favors. He's going to wake up. Whether M'gann is able to help him or not."

xxxx

M'gann turned to face the Atlantean with the trident. Something in La'gaan's mind told her his name was Galeo, and he was a force to be reckoned with. She grabbed the trident, yanking it from his hand. _Not real. He's not real. _

She kicked his chest, propelling herself backwards into the crowd of dead Atlanteans. She stabbed blindly with the trident, spearing them left and right. At first, she felt horrified at herself. These were children. These were innocents. _Hello Megan! They're not real. They're. Not. Real._

This thought spurred her on. One of them grabbed her arm, trying to bite her with rows of razor-sharp teeth. M'gann steeled herself. Using her free arm, she put the trident through the person's face. She drew back, disgusted with herself. No matter how many times she told herself it wasn't real, it still looked real. It felt real. There was blood in the water. She could smell it. She could _taste_ it. M'gann felt herself about to get sick. Then the man, Galeo, grabbed her shoulders and turned her around.

"Bad move, chum," he growled. He punched her across the face, busting her lip.

Her immediate reaction was paralyzing fear. He had huge black eyes. Like a shark's when it's on the prowl. They were soulless and empty. And she knew this man was capable of murder. The idea came from nowhere, popping into existence without warning. But she knew that her gut feeling was right. Galeo was an evil man. He'd killed before. Chances were, La'gaan had seen him do it. M'gann readied herself, and began to fight back.

Something told her to go for the gills, so she did. She clawed at the sides of his neck and at those horrible black eyes of his. Galeo lost his grip on her, giving M'gann the opportunity to swim away. The water had suddenly gone dark and was thick with blood. She couldn't see where she was going. All around her, voices howled and screamed at her.

"_Kill him! Kill him, boss!"_

"_No one steals from the Red Fins!"_

"_Spear him!"_

And then, suddenly, there was a light in the darkness. At first it was just a pinprick. A little dot far in the distance. But M'gann swam for it, and it got bigger. It grew and grew, until it was so bright that it blinded her. A million emotions surged through her at once. Anger, fear, guilt, sadness, relief, happiness…then suddenly the voices calling for murder fell away. A new voice, strong and female, replaced them.

"_Shhh, young one, you will be well again soon…get this child out of here! He has expelled too much energy!"_

Everything went black.

When M'gann awoke, some part of her instinctively knew that she wasn't seeing through her own eyes. She was looking through La'gaan's. Somehow she had managed to insert herself into one of his memories. It was so much more…personal than the others. Now she could feel exactly what he felt, hear his thoughts echoing in her own mind.

They were lying in a sleeping pod. Through the glass, they could see the ceiling of the room they were in. It was elaborately painted with water nymphs and sea creatures. The ocean god Neptune was in the very center of it all. Only the very rich had things like that.

_Where am I?_ La'gaan's voice echoed through her head. But the thought was sluggish and delayed. That wasn't any surprise, giving how they felt. Their body seemed to be made of stone. They didn't have to move. M'gann had never been so exhausted in all of her life. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and sleep forever. She didn't care if they never moved again. Suddenly, nothing seemed to matter anymore.

Their eyes closed. When they awoke again, a medic was checking their pulse while a woman stood by. This time they had a bit more energy. They turned their head to get a better look at them. The medic was a 'pure' Atlantean, much like the woman beside him. She was beautiful, with long red hair and clothes fit for a queen. But they only saw the long red hair. Their mind was so exhausted, somehow they mistook her for Cor'rel.

"Mother," they said, reaching out towards her. It took all their strength to lift their arm. The woman grabbed their hand gently. She set her other hand on their cheek.

"Shhh," she said gently, "go back to sleep young one."

So they did.

The third time they awoke, a medic was feeding them. They swallowed obediently, even though half of the stuff tasted awful. When the medic left, they fell back asleep.

The next time they opened their eyes, they had the strength to get up. They opened the sleeping pod and got out, their muscles still weak and shaky. Almost immediately after, a medic came rushing in.

"No, no!" he said. "Sit, child, sit."

So they did. He checked their vitals and asked how they felt, over and over. Finally, he asked for their name. They eyed him distrustfully. Every stranger – no matter how nice they seemed – was regarded this way. Strangers lied. They cheated you out of food and what little money you had. But they answered his question honestly. "La'gaan."

"Where are your parents?" asked the medic.

"Dead," they said. Well, they didn't know where Cor'rel was. But, to them, she was dead. She abandoned them. They didn't have a mother anymore.

"Any other family?"

"No."

"Who has been taking care of you?"

"I have."

The medic raised his eyebrows, and they frowned. "How old are you?"

"I don't know. Ten, I guess." They answered.

"You don't know how old you are?" The medic was shocked. "What's your birthday?"

"I don't know. Why do you care?" They snapped. The medic gave up and left shortly after that, telling them to stay put. But, of course, they didn't. They swam off into the hallway. The rest of the building was just as ornate and lavish as the room they'd been in before. Where were they? In the rich part of Nanauve? That might explain all the nice stuff. But it looked like a hospital. Who took them to a hospital?

A medic finally noticed them wandering and took them back to their room, scolding them harshly. They weren't alone for much longer after that. The beautiful woman with long red hair swam in. She sat down in front of him and introduced herself as Mera.

They snorted. "Like the queen?"

"I _am_ the queen," she said, a hint of a smile on her face. "I was visiting Nanauve for diplomatic reasons when I noticed your little…predicament."

They cringed. The last thing they could remember was being entangled in a net while Galeo stood over them, a black trident pointed right at their neck. "So you saved me?"

"No. You saved yourself, La'gaan. You used a powerful spell. Too powerful, for someone of your skill level and age…you almost killed yourself. Who taught you how to do something like that?" Queen Mera asked.

"None of your business!" They growled.

The queen's face grew somber. "Was it a man called Aurelius?"

Hearing the name was like a slap across the face. "How- how did you-"

"He was a student of mine at the Conservatory of Sorcery. I lost contact with him a couple of years ago…I presume he is no longer with us." Queen Mera said, sighing. "He wrote to me often, and he mentioned he was caring for you. And that he intended to raise you as his own. I know that only death would keep him from helping someone that so desperately needed him."

They didn't like this subject. It hurt too bad. "Where is Galeo?"

The queen hesitated. "He…he is no longer with us, either. Your spell…it was very powerful La'gaan. It obliterated everything – and _everyone_ – that was too close."

She waited to see how they would take this news. But La'gaan, and by extenstion M'gann, felt nothing. "Oh."

"Did you mean to kill him?" Queen Mera asked quietly.

"No." It was the truth.

"Are you happy that you did?"

"Yes."

The memory disappeared suddenly, and M'gann was suddenly herself again. But the city around her was completely different. She was no longer in the war-like, harsh city of Nanauve. She was in Poseidonis. Everything was bright, colorful, and beautiful. Finally! Finally, she had reached the center of La'gaan's mind! It had to be here somewhere. Most likely in the Conservatory, near the heart of the city.

She started swimming, elated. But her mind kept going back to Galeo. He was a gang leader, a warlord, or something along those lines. And he was ruthless. So ruthless that he was willing to spear a ten-year-old child through the neck. What had La'gaan done to invoke his wrath? Or had he done nothing at all? Well, in the end, it was the child that won out. A mere boy had destroyed him with one spell. La'gaan had poured all his energy, anger, and hatred into that final act. What did Galeo do to make him so despicable in La'gaan's eyes?

It struck her then.

_La'gaan has killed someone! _M'gann thought. _And he doesn't regret it!_

How was she supposed to feel about that? Killing someone was a major offense in the Justice League, and was treated as such. The queen of Atlantis obviously knew. But did Aquaman? Did the rest of the League? Or was this one of La'gaan's darkest secrets, something only he and the queen knew? It made her sick. But at the same time, she knew La'gaan hadn't meant to. She was inside his head, she knew he wasn't lying. In fact, that spell wasn't meant to be a spell at all. It was an accident. An accident that saved La'gaan's life. If he hadn't done that, Galeo would have killed him.

_Whose life is more important, M'gann? _she asked herself, ashamed that she had been so quick to persecute La'gaan for what he did. _A little boy, or a grown warlord? _


	7. Temporary Home

This chapter is by far the longest, I think. I wish I had a bit more time to devote to La'gaan's relationship with Lori and Blubber, as well as Garth, Tula, and Kaldur, but I'm afraid we're reaching the end of the story here. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Poseidonis was extremely different from Nanauve. The buildings were ornate and colorful. Tropical fish swam through the streets, like the city was a giant reef. There was no starvation. No sickness. This was a place of happiness for La'gaan, and a place of peace. M'gann swam through the city, heading towards the Conservatory. Soon she would be able to find La'gaan's center, fix what was wrong, and get him to wake up. This nightmare would finally be over. For both of them.

The closer she got to the Conservatory, the more she felt at home. But there were things lurking on the outskirts of her vision. Shadowy figures hid in the allies, eyeing her as she swam past. They hid their faces with cloaks, and reminded her of the Purists they had helped Kaldur fight when she and Conner visited Atlantis. But these figures weren't being hostile. (For the time being anyway.) So M'gann kept moving.

They started to yell insults at her.

"Hey ugly! Get back here!"

"Look, it's the monster from the trench!"

Of course, she knew these weren't directed at her. These were just memories. Insults that La'gaan had heard before, and often. M'gann kept swimming. They weren't attacking, so she could just ignore them. Or try to. The words stung, and seemed eerily similar to the ones that had been hurled at her on Mars.

"Who would ever want to be with you?"

"I bet your parents left you because you were even uglier than your mother!"

"Run, before he tries to eat you!"

_Ignore it, _M'gann told herself firmly. _They're just memories. Insecurities. _His_ insecurities. They can't hurt you._

Yet at the same time, she could hear the children of Mars shrieking and calling her names just like these. M'gann swam faster, trying to put it out of her mind. The insults finally stopped. Moments later, the racial slurs began.

"By Neptune, look at that ugly fish head!"

"Hey, shark bait!"

"Savage!"

"Bottom feeder!"

"Scum!"

But those weren't the worst ones. The one she heard next was like a slap across the face.

"_Tursus_!"

There were a few words in the English language that might have been similar to it. It was one of the worst swears the Atlantean language had to offer, and the worst racial slur you could throw at someone like La'gaan. M'gann grasped for the meaning. The closest translation she could get was 'hideous freak.' But that didn't seem to do it justice. This word was charged by a thousand years of hatred and abuse. You never got used to hearing it.

She kept swimming, determined to ignore these slurs. They meant nothing to her. But she knew they hurt La'gaan. Even if he never acknowledged that it did.

When she reached the Conservatory, the antagonizing voices fell silent. The school was like a sanctuary that the cloaked figures couldn't penetrate. It was safe. It was _home_. As M'gann swam through the halls, the school came alive. It wasn't like in the Bones, where everyone was a starving ghost. They were solid, as if she were actually in Poseidonis. None of them acknowledged her. They simply went about their business as usual. Laughing, talking, studying, practicing spells.

She spotted La'gaan sitting on the floor in one of the study rooms. He frowned in frustration, narrowing his eyes at the scroll in his hand. M'gann swam over. She couldn't be certain if this was a memory or a part of La'gaan's personality. There was only one way to find out.

"Hello?" she said.

"Go away," La'gaan snapped. "I'm busy."

_Personality_, M'gann thought. "What are you doing?"

"I'm working, chum." He didn't look up at her as he spoke. Instead, he wrote something down on the scroll. "You won't find what you want here. So leave me alone."

Instead of leaving, M'gann settled herself on the floor beside him. "What do you mean? Do you know what I'm looking for?"

"It's not exactly hard to figure out. Even _I_ know." La'gaan frowned at whatever he had just written, then tore the scroll. "Neptune's Beard!"

Now what part of La'gaan's mind could he represent? He was self-aware, which was unusual. But she'd encountered anomalies like this before in Robin's mind. "Why did you rip that up? It looked fine."

"It wasn't good enough," La'gaan grumbled. "Will you go away?"

But M'gann persisted. "Not good enough for what?"

"It just – it wasn't good enough! If you're not good enough, you die or get put back out on the streets or forgotten! None of those are happening to me. Now leave, ok?" La'gaan frowned, turning his back on. With a shrug, M'gann continued down the corridors.

xxxx

M'gann passed hundreds of memories in different halls and classrooms. She wanted to stop and watch them, because they were comparatively happier than the previous ones. La'gaan's laughter echoed through the school. She heard conversations and came to understand inside jokes between La'gaan and his best friends. There were parties, stressful study sessions, fights, pranks, sorrows, and joys…

She witnessed important moments in his life, such as when he met his best friend. La'gaan was a new student, barely nine years old. There was a worried look on his face, though he was fighting to hide it. La'gaan had been conditioned not to show weakness, and he still carried that trait with him to Poseidonis. She watched him swim through the hall and slam right into a boy that resembled a whale. Even though he was the same age as La'gaan, he was twice his size. That didn't seem to deter La'gaan, though. He immediately went on the offensive.

"Watch where you're going, chum!" La'gaan snapped.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" the other boy said. "I'm just lost…I didn't mean to, I'm sorry."

Relaxing a little, La'gaan sighed. "I know you didn't. I'm sorry. I'm lost, too…and…I get a little testy when I'm nervous."

The boy smiled tentatively. "I didn't notice."

La'gaan laughed. "I'm La'gaan."

"I'm…Shelly," the boy said, looking away in embarrassment.

"…Shelly? Your parents seriously named you _Shelly_? But you're a boy!" La'gaan laughed again, harder this time. "Chum, you need a nickname. Bad."

"I do?" he asked.

La'gaan nodded and tapped his chin. He swam a circle around Shelly, trying to think of an appropriate name. "I'm gonna call you…Blubber. Cause you've got a lot of it."

"I guess I do," Blubber said. He smiled a little and patted his stomach.

"Come on. Let's go find our dorm!" La'gaan laughed and swam off down the corridor. His new friend followed the best he could, but he wasn't able to match La'gaan's pace. M'gann could hear him calling to La'gaan as the memory disappeared.

Smiling a little, M'gann continued on. She eventually found herself in a small domed garden. There were beautiful and exotic plants growing in boxes. And she wasn't alone. Sitting on a stone bench was La'gaan and a mermaid girl M'gann had seen before. Lori, she thought her name was. They both looked around fourteen years old, just a little bit older than when M'gann had first met them.

Lori's hands were on La'gaan's shoulder, healing a cut. "La'gaan! Quit squirming! I can't heal it if you squirm!"

"It hurts!" La'gaan complained.

"I'm trying my best," Lori said, "but it would be easier if you'd just sit still."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I appreciate it…I can't go to the Infirmary. They'd ask what happened, and…I would have to lie."

She removed her hands, staring at him with a concerned look on her face. "La'gaan…my friend…what exactly can't you tell them? What have you been doing?" When he didn't answer, she frowned. "La'gaan, you can trust me! You know what. Now what is it that you're not telling me?"

"It was the Purists," La'gaan snapped. "There. Happy?"

"Purists? But they dispersed after Ocean-Master was defeated!" Lori protested.

"You think that means they just went away? They just split into smaller groups, Lori! One of those groups jumped me. I fought them off, but…a lot of them got hits in." La'gaan looked away, frowning. He looked…ashamed. "I deserved it. I wasn't strong enough."

"You sound like Sha'ark!" Lori frowned. "The weak don't deserve to be hurt and killed, La'gaan. I know that's what everyone in Nanauve seems to think, but it's stupid. You're not even weak. You're one of the strongest boys I know."

"…you know our best friend is a whale, right?" La'gaan said with a slight smile.

Lori smiled too. "I said _one_ of them. And you're the cutest I know."

_They dated._ M'gann realized suddenly. _They dated, and I'm seeing one of his first memories of their relationship._

"Me?" La'gaan stared at her. "I'm one of the cutest boys you know? Lori, I'm a monster. Guppies see me and swim away screaming!"

His friend grabbed his hand, squeezing it in her own. "Maybe to them you are. But to me, you're so much more."

A moment of silence passed between them. Slowly, they both leaned forward and kissed. It was an innocent, sweet show of affection. Yet it sent a flash of anger through M'gann. Did that girl even know what he'd been through? Did she even know him at all? She was about to voice this, when she remembered she was just looking at a memory. And besides…why did she care who La'gaan had dated?

The memory dissolved, leaving her alone in the garden. Bewildered at her own anger, M'gann swam away.

La'gaan aged in the halls of the Conservatory. Each time she passed another one of his memories, he was a little older. Finally, when M'gann reached the dormitories, she came across his last few memories in Atlantis. By this point she was so close to her goal she could practically taste it. In just a few more minutes, she would be able to wake up La'gaan! M'gann was tempted to just keep going, but she wanted to see the end of his time in Atlantis. And after so much happiness in Poseidonis, she needed to see how it all wrapped up.

"So this is it?" Lori asked. Her arms were crossed over her chest. M'gann felt a flash of dislike as she saw Lori. Appalled at herself, M'gann waved the feeling away. Why did she resent their relationship so much? "You're really going through with this? After what happened to Tula?"

"What happened to Tula won't happen to me," La'gaan said firmly. He shouldered his bag. "I'm going to the surface, Lori. Whether you want me to or not."

Instead of getting angry, Lori looked heartbroken. She swam forward and put her hand on his arm. "La'gaan, _please_. Listen to me. You have a good life here. You have friends. You have a future. You could get whatever job you wanted, if you'd only ask Queen Mera!"

"I'm done living off of Her Majesty's charity!" La'gaan snapped.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lori demanded. She put her hands on her hips, readying herself for a fight.

"It means…nothing, Lori. I'm going." La'gaan shook his head. "I'll be happier there. This city…it's worse than Nanauve was, in some ways…up there, people will call me a hero. Not a _tursus_."

Lori was shocked. She narrowed her eyes at him. "La'gaan! You should _never_ use that-"

He sighed. "Sorry."

For a long moment, his girlfriend was silent. She looked away. "…when you come back, don't expect to find me waiting here for you."

A hurt look passed over La'gaan's face. Then he frowned. "Fine. Then…I guess this means we're over."

"We're over. But…I'll always be your friend. Even though I hate this decision…I will try to be happy for you." Lori kissed his cheek. Then, without another word or a backwards glance, she swam away.

M'gann felt a pang of guilt in her chest. Lori had obviously cared for La'gaan, though whatever they had was now abandoned in Atlantis. Shaking her head, she continued down the hall until she was right in front of La'gaan's dorm room. The next memory took place in front of the door. La'gaan and Blubber faced each other for the last time, both seeming a little reluctant to say the final goodbye. They'd both grown since their first meeting. La'gaan had grown at least a foot, and Blubber barely fit in the halls of the Conservatory anymore. He set one large gray fin on La'gaan's shoulder. "Be safe up there, my friend."

La'gaan smiled. "I will, Blubber. Take care."

"No, really. I mean 'be safe.' Not 'put yourself in dangerous situations for fun.'" Blubber said. "I know how you get, brother."

"I'll be fine!" La'gaan laughed. "I'll visit as soon as I can. Until then, try not to have too much fun without me.

Blubber laughed as well, then seemed to grow serious. "La'gaan...I overheard your conversation with Lori. I know you are frustrated with her, but she means well. She is concerned, with Tula's death and Kaldur's disappearance…she is worried that you will meet a similar fate. And…as am I."

La'gaan groaned. "Neptune's Beard, not you too!"

"I'm not trying to keep you here," Blubber assured him, "I'm just voicing our concerns. And…you know that there will always be a place waiting for you here. This is your home."

"No, Blubber." La'gaan shook his head. "This is my temporary home. This…this isn't where I _belong_. I've got to keep on moving until I figure out where I fit in."

He reached out and set his hand on Blubber's shoulder. La'gaan smiled a little. "But I'll always know where my friends are."

The memory dissolved, leaving M'gann alone in front of the dorm room. She suddenly had a feeling that she may not be as close to her goal as she previously thought. A person's 'center' was almost always in their home. And, if La'gaan did not consider this place to be where he belonged…well, there was no telling. She would just have to try it. M'gann took a deep breath. And, slowly, she opened the door.


	8. Fight

And here it is, the last chapter! But don't worry. I've already got another in the works.

* * *

The door didn't lead to La'gaan's center. It led to an ornate hallway, probably somewhere in the palace. At the end of the hall was a zeta tube. And in front of it another memory was playing out. La'gaan was around his current age, and his traveling bag was slung over his shoulder. In front of him was a woman. She was tall and slender, but not too skinny. Her green skin had a healthy glow to it. One of the fins on her shoulder was scarred. The membrane had been eaten away by some unknown disease, leaving only a bit of scarred tissue in between the spines. Her clothes were nice, and must have been custom-made due to her odd body type. And even though she looked older, M'gann thought Cor'rel looked better than she did when she was young.

"Where have you been?" La'gaan asked. The question was a low, harsh growl. It grew quickly into a furious roar. "DAMN YOU! _WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN_?!"

His mother drew back. Her black eyes filled with tears. "My son, listen to me. You don't understand-"

"No! I _do_ understand! Do you think I'm still a guppy? In case you haven't noticed, a lot has changed in thirteen years!" La'gaan cut her off.

The two stood in silence. La'gaan was fuming, and Cor'rel fumbled for her next words. "I- I- I thought you were _dead_…"

"I almost was! You left me to die!" La'gaan yelled.

"I was so sure you wouldn't make it! Most children don't, once they reach that stage of the sickness…you were bleeding from the inside out and…and I couldn't do anything for you. I thought you would just drift off to sleep…and I couldn't bear to be there when…when you stopped breathing…" Cor'rel explained, her voice shaking. She swam forward, clasping her hands around his. "I loved you. I still love you, more than words can ever express."

La'gaan pulled his hands away, frowning at her. He might as well have slapped his mother across the face. She let out a small sob. "Yes, you loved me so much that you left me to die alone!"

"Please, my son, forgive me! I beg you! I know I cannot take back all that has happened to you. But let me try." Cor'rel implored, giving her son a tearful look. "I don't want my family to fall apart again…"

He looked away. "Why come looking for me now? After all these years, why now?"

"I didn't think there was a point…that all I would find would be a grave. But then I heard the king had a new apprentice. A new apprentice named La'gaan." Cor'rel smiled slightly. "I couldn't get here fast enough…"

"What do you expect me to do, then?" La'gaan turned back towards her, his voice sharp. "Stay here because you've suddenly decided to come back into my life?"

His mother opened her mouth to answer, then turned her face away. "I…I do not know what I hoped. I only prayed that it was you. I didn't know what I would do if I actually _found _you…"

"Well, I'm not staying here, that's for certain! And having you in Poseidonis makes me want to leave _more_! Do you know how much I went through on the streets? All the stuff I had to go through just to eat?! I don't want to have anything to do with you! In my mind, I don't even have a mother. Mothers stick by you and don't leave you to die alone!" La'gaan yelled.

Each word was like a knife to Cor'rel's heart. M'gann could see it on her face. She wasn't like her son, who had learned to mask pain and sadness behind bravado. No, this was a woman who carried her heart on her sleeve for everyone to see. Cor'rel fought back a sob, but didn't say another word in her defense.

"I'm leaving. And no one is going to change my mind. Not Blubber, not Lori, and especially not _you_. This city…I'll be better off somewhere else. Somewhere where I'm not a _tursus_ or a savage or a murderer," La'gaan said, looking towards the zeta tube. "I'm going somewhere where I'll be accepted."

His mother moved forward, setting a tentative hand on his arm. La'gaan didn't jerk away, but he glared at her. Cor'rel said quietly, "I know not what awaits you on the surface, my son. But I pray you find the happiness you seek, and all the love I never gave you. I hope you find friends and happy memories, and never feel a moment of pain or regret. I know you hate me. You have every right…but I will pray for you every night. I will pray you find everything you are looking for and more…and I will pray that, one day, you will find the strength in your heart to forgive me. I will pray that the tide will bring you home to me."

After a prolonged silence, La'gaan pulled away from her. "You should go."

Cor'rel turned away and swam off, sobbing quietly as she disappeared down the hall. La'gaan watched her go, then slammed his fist into the wall.

The memory and both participants faded away, leaving M'gann alone in the hallway in front of the zeta tube. She was stunned. Like La'gaan, she had assumed Cor'rel was long-gone. Most likely dead. Yet she was alive. She was alive, and she'd tried to make things right with La'gaan…but it had been too little too late, apparently. M'gann bit her lip. She understood why he'd reacted the way he had. Yet, at the same time, she wished that he had just forgiven her. After all those years alone on the street, she thought he'd be happy to have some family around. Especially since his mother was all he had left.

Shaking her head, M'gann knew there was only one place to go. The door that she had come through had disappeared. There was no going back to Atlantis now.

"I guess it's Mount Justice or bust," M'gann said, smiling a little at her own joke.

She swam ahead into the zeta tube. Familiar blinding light surrounded her. Moments later, she was standing in Mount Justice.

M'gann ran through the living room and down the hall. The cave was completely empty and silent…almost lonely, in a way. But she didn't notice any of that. She was so close to her goal, nothing else mattered. She ran down the hall to the last room on the left. The door was closed. M'gann stopped and took a breath. Anything could be waiting for her in La'gaan's mind. She had to prepare herself.

A minute later, she opened the door.

La'gaan's room was filled with water. It did not rush out when she opened the door. It just stayed there, like a block of the ocean had been transported into the cave. His room, otherwise, looked the same. It was very bare. There were a few scrolls written in Atlantean tacked up on the walls, and a few odd-looking items sat on top of his desk. None of that attracted her attention, however. What caught her eye was La'gaan himself. He was floating on his back in the water. He wasn't moving.

Suddenly she remembered seeing La'gaan as a sick little boy, floating in the middle of the street. All alone, with no one to care for him or notice if he died.

She shuddered and swam forward. "La'gaan! La'gaan, you have to wake up."

There was no response.

She thought back to her venture into Robin's mind. They had found him in a similar state. Half-dead and unresponsive. But they had managed to wake him…no. No,_ they_ hadn't. Batman had. Batman was the one who had managed to get Robin to open his eyes. His voice had called Robin back, because he was one of the most important people in his life. M'gann, however, was not nearly as important to La'gaan as Batman was to Robin. They'd spoken before, but they could hardly be called best friends.

_If only I had Blubber here. Or Lori. Or even his mother, _M'gann thought. But, perhaps, she could still use them. In fact, there were plenty of things she could use to her advantage now. She just hoped they actually worked.

"La'gaan, you have to wake up!" M'gann urged him. "What about Blubber and Lori? How are we supposed to tell them that you're gone?"

Nothing.

She tried again, changing tactics. "What about your mother? I know you don't really hate her! What will she do if something happens to you?"

Still nothing.

M'gann was getting frustrated. How was it that a person like La'gaan – who had overcome starvation, illness, prejudice, and street violence – could be beaten by something so comparatively small? She grabbed his shoulders. "La'gaan, listen to me! I know you barely know me and don't care about me, but you've got to listen! You did not come this far to give up now! You've beaten everything life has thrown at you so far, you can beat this!"

A miracle happened. His eyelids flickered.

"Come on La'gaan!" M'gann encouraged him. "Do what you do best! _FIGHT_!"

La'gaan opened his eyes.

xxxx

Without warning, La'gaan's eyes shot open. He sat up quickly, gasping like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on to him. Someone set their hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down against the bed. He wasn't sure where he was. The last thing he remembered was the simulation. Then…nothing. Had he finally gotten 'killed'? Was he out?

"What happened? Am I out?" La'gaan asked. The person standing over him was Nightwing himself. He had a relieved look on his face that La'gaan couldn't understand. "What's going on? How'd I do? Why am I in my room?"

"How do you feel?" Nightwing asked, ignoring his questions.

La'gaan gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean? I feel fine. I mean, why wouldn't I?"

Someone else sat up. They'd been lying on a cot next to his bed, for whatever reason. With a start, he realized it was the Martian girl M'gann. What _was_ she doing in his room?

"…I've missed something." La'gaan said, staring at his teammates. "Haven't I?"

Nightwing nodded. "An accident caused M'gann to lose focus, and it sent you into a coma. She had to go in to wake you up. You've been under for a few weeks now."

"A few weeks?! Neptune's Beard!" La'gaan looked over at M'gann. "You went inside my head and brought me out of it?"

M'gann nodded once, a bit uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, but it was the only way. We didn't want to wait around and wonder if you were going to wake up."

"Why are you apologizing? You saved my skin!" La'gaan grinned at her. "I am in your debt."

She smiled at him, but still felt troubled. Obviously he didn't know that putting someone's mind back together involved sifting through all of their most personal information. What would he say when she told him what she had seen? There was no telling.

They both went through a full medical examination; just to be sure they were alright. After about two hours of this, they were both cleared to go back to training. La'gaan was more than happy to. He dove right back into his training, rejoining the others as if nothing had happened. He seemed to forget about the incident almost as soon as it was over. M'gann decided to just forget about what she had seen. La'gaan seemed perfectly content to go on like nothing had gone wrong, so why shouldn't she?

But about a week later, La'gaan pulled her aside as she was heading to bed.

"I need to talk to you about something," he said. "I need to know what you saw inside my head."

"I…I didn't think you cared. I mean, you haven't said anything-" M'gann began.

"I couldn't exactly ask you when we woke up. I mean, Nightwing was right there," La'gaan interrupted. "And I haven't been able to get you alone since."

This was the conversation she'd been dreading. "Come with me."

She led him back into her room. La'gaan hovered by the close door, obviously uncomfortable. But M'gann didn't want them to be overheard. She sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed. "It'd be easier to answer what I didn't see. I saw the Bones…Nanauve…Poseidonis."

It was the exactly what La'gaan had been afraid of, apparently. He let out a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. "Did you see Galeo?"

An involuntary shudder went through her. She could still see Galeo's dark, soulless eyes. "Yes. I…I saw what happened to him."

"You can't tell Nightwing." La'gaan said, moving forward. "Or anyone else on the League."

"How many people know?" M'gann asked.

"Counting you? Four," La'gaan answered. He looked away. "Not even my king knows."

"Tell me what happened. How did you even end up there?" M'gann asked. "Why did he want to kill you?"

La'gaan sighed heavily. "It's a long story…basically I was on Galeo's list to begin with. I got caught stealing. I was about to get speared. I wanted to hurt him. So I did."

"And only four people know?" M'gann asked. Who else had he told? Queen Mera was obviously one of them. Did he tell Blubber? Lori? The thought of Lori suddenly sent another pang of jealousy through her. She did her best to smother it.

"Only four know _for sure_. There were people that saw. And they talked. So rumors followed me while I was at the Conservatory," La'gaan said. He smiled grimly. "I wasn't very popular there, so they jumped on it."

M'gann stood. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, M'gann," La'gaan said. He smiled at her. "For, you know. Everything. You're…you're pretty amazing."

She felt herself blushing. "Thanks, La'gaan."

"Maybe I can get inside your head one of these days. See what makes you tick," La'gaan joked. "Only fair, right?"

M'gann couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Right."


End file.
